Receptacle for drinking-cups.



1 wi. SWIFT; RECEPIACLE ma DRINKING cuPs.

APPLICATION FILED v4AUG.2I, 1912,.

y citizen of the United States,l residing at WILLARD E. SWIFT, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNCB. T0 UNITED STATES ENVELOPE COMPANY, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F mama.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patentd ,1 un@ 13, 1916,

Applicationled August 21, 1912. Serial No. 716,196.

'o all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLARD E. Swlr'r, a

Worcester, in the county of `Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have made a new and useful Invention Relating to Re veeptacles for Drinking-Cups, of which the following is a specification accompanied by drawings forming a part of the same.

My invention .relates to a receptacle for drinking cups adapted to hold a stack of drinking cups preparatory to their insertion in a distributin cabinet.

The object o my invention is to provide means fory maintaining the stack of drinking cups in vproper yposition for distribution in the cabinet, and to provide means when the receptacle and inclosed stack of cups have been inserted in the cabinet, for releasing the cups from the receptacle in order to enable them to be individually'.withdrawn. This result is accomplished by forming the receptacle with an opening at its lower end K and providing a removable obstruction at this opening to retain the cups within vthe receptacle until they have been inserted in proper position within t-he distributing cabinet. The obstruction may then be removed and the cupswithdrawn through the openings in the receptacle and cabinet as desired for use or, in some embodiments of the invention, the receptacle may be withdrawn from the cabinet if desired as soon as the cups have been inserted in proper po sition in the cabinet and before they have been with drawn from the cabinet for use.

A receptacle constructed in `accordance with my present invention is designed to be inserted in a distributing cabinet after having been filled`with vdrinking cups, thereby serving to place the cups in proper position for withdrawal from the cabinet. The form of receptacle illustrated in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described for the purpose of illustrating the principles of my invention is particularly adapted for use in the distributing cabinet described in my copending application, Serial No. 681,582, iled March 4, 1912, cabinet for paper drinkingcups.

Referring to the resents a perspective view of the receptacle after having been filled with drinking cups and prepared readyfor insertion in the .distributing cabinet. Fig. 2 is a` perspective drawings, Figure 1 rep# viewA of thev receptacle before filling, showing the receptacle with its lid opened. Fig. 3 isa perspective view of the receptacle with the telescopic cover applied to close its open end. Fig.- 4 is a sectional view of a distributing cabinet with the cup receptacle inserted therein, also shown in section. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the cabinet after the Withdrawal of the receptacle therefrom. l

Similar reference figures refer to similar' parts in the different views.

The receptacle embodying my present invention consists of a rectangular box in cross section, preferably made of cardboard, as represented in Fig. 2, having a bottom 1, sides2 and 3, and a closed end 4. The opposite sides of the boX at one end are beveled or chamfered at 5, 5, for the purpose hereinafter y set forth. To the outer side of the bottom, paper bands 6 and 7 are attached by their gummed ends. -The receptacle is filled with drinking cups in an inclined position corresponding to the inclination of the beveled ends 5 of the box sides 2 and 3.

Hinged to one of the sides 2 of the receptacle by a gummed flexible strip of cloth or heavy paper is a cover 8 provided at its outer edge and at one end with the gummed across the drinking cups, which are held in place resting on the bands 6 and 7 when the receptacle is placed in an upright position with its beveled end the lowermost in order to insert it in the cabinet, as shown in Fig. 4. The bands 6 and 7 are unyielding so that, until they are broken as hereafter de# scribed, they will prevent assage of any of the cups through the openlng at the bottom of thereceptacle, The sides 2 and3 project a short distance beyond the plane ofthe bands 6 and 7 in order to prevent the end cup from being protruded over the sides. The receptacle and cups then constitute a package 11, as represented in Fig. 1, capable of bein inserted endwise in a cabinet 12, with the `c Aamfered or beveled end vof the receptacle lowermost. The'l cabinet 12 is provided at its lower end with hinged doors 13, 14, having a central vopening 15 through which the operator is able to reach the bands 6' and 7, andforciblysever the same allowing -the stack of drinking: cups- 16 to fall downward against the hinged doors 13 and' 14. The receptacle is withdrawn from` the top of the cabinet and a wei ht 17 is placed- 14. The drinking cups can alsol be placedin their proper position in the receptacle, thereby preventingany displacement which might arisey from the carelessness of the operator in fillingy the cabinet direct.

As the receptacle may not be inserted in a cabinet immediately after' filling, I inclose the beveled end of the package l1 in a cover 19 which telescopes over the beveled end of the package, as shown in Fig. 3. This cover I preferably providewith an. opening 20, smaller than the drinking cup, but large enough to disclose any-printed matter placed thereon. When thecover 19 is applied, a drinking cup is inserted between the b ottom of the package 11 and the opposing side of the cover which serves, by its exposed inscription, to disclose-the class of-cups pontained in the package.

I claim, l

1. A receptacle'v for a stack of collapsed drinking cups, comprising a box having a cross sectional area less than the area of one of said cups and having a beveled open end equal in areato one of said cups, to permit the broadside withdrawal of the lowermost cup therethrough, and removable means extending across said open end and secured to opposite sides of said box.

2. A receptacle fora stack of collapsed drinking cups comprising a box having an open end for the broadside withdrawal of the lowermost `cup therethrough, and a breakable band extending across said open end and secured to two opposite sides of said box, the other sides of said boxbeing extended beyond the plane occupied by said band.

V3. A receptacle for a stack of collapsed drinking cups comprising a box having a cross-sectional area less than the area of one .an upright position, with each c up in an inclined position, and a detachable cover for the open end of said box.

4.. A package of collapsed drinking cups for insertion in a dispensing cabinet, comprising a box adapted to t loosely in said cabinet and containing a stack of such cups, said box having an opening at the end corresponding to the delivery end of said cabinet, and a breakable band secured to the box on' opposite sides of said opening, for exposure by the delivery opening of said cabinet when the package is inserted therein, whereby the breaking of said band permits the withdrawal of said box to leave the stack of cups in the cabinet.v

5. A package of collapsed drinking cups for insertion in a dispensing cabinet, comprising a box kadapted to fit loosely in said cabinet and containing a stack of such cups, c

said box bein open at the end corresponding to the `delivery end of: said cabinet, and a breakable band secured to two opposite sides of said box and extending across said open end, for exposure by vthedelivery openinglof said cabinet, the other sides of said box being extended below the plane occupied by said band.

6. A package of collapsed drinking cups for insertiony in a dispensing cabinet comprising a box fitting loosely in said cabinet and containing a stack of such cups, said box being beveled at the end corresponding to the delivery end of said cabinet and providing an opening in. said beveled end for withdrawal of the lowermost cup, and removable means secured to the box and extending acrossA said openin for exposure by the delivery opening of sald cabinet when the package is inserted therein, whereby the removal of said removable means permits the withdrawal of cups from said cabinet. Dated this seventeenth day of August 1912.

WILLARD E. SWIFT.

Witnesses z PENELOPE CoMBERBAoH, NELLm WHALEN. 

